ERP Measurement and Quantification

Preface

This manual is divided into two halves, both centered around getting and quantifying ERP components. The first half provides a quick 'n dirty introduction to the most common ERP measurement techniques using ERPSS. I assume sufficient proficiency to get as far as building a grand-averaged ERP waveform. We use Dave Prime's ERPSS GUI Toolbox (the EGT) in the lab, and he has an excellent how-to writeup available here.

I also cover the jackknife averaging technique and its corresponding statistical tests. Jackknifing is a very robust way of measuring ERPs without having to delve into noisy, single-subject ERP waveforms. However, there are some practical considerations in its use, which I cover in detail.

In the second half of this manual, I cover what I think are the essential parts of data management and analysis in SPSS. It's by no means an exhaustive treatise on the subject, but I cover the parametric tests that we most frequently use in HEL: the T-test, the ANOVA, and the correlation. For those with money to burn, the inimitable Andy Field has an absolutely brilliant textbook on SPSS written with the experimental psychologist in mind.

Contents